The verdict in three sentences
For an interior design studio in Montreal, a local agency is worth its price when your site depends on art direction and photo shoots of your projects that you do not have yet. If your work is already well photographed, a remote studio delivers a fast portfolio, in French compliant with the Charter of the French Language and in English, for 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, in 3 to 4 weeks. The real criterion is the state of your images, then domain ownership and the quality of the form that sorts inquiries by budget and floor area.
What makes an interior designer's website sell in Montreal?
Your clients buy a transformation they need to see. A Plateau homeowner renovating a duplex, a Griffintown restaurateur opening a second location, a developer looking for model-unit staging in Laval: each scrolls your portfolio on a phone, often arriving from Instagram, Houzz or Pinterest, and decides within a few pages whether to book a consultation.
The pages that convert: one project per page with context, constraint, material choices and a gallery optimised to load fast; a clear split between residential, commercial and hospitality; your process in steps (survey, concept, drawings, site follow-up); a team page; and a form asking for project type, square footage, neighbourhood, deadline and budget range. That filter saves you calls with inquiries outside your price range.
| Criterion | Montreal agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell (remote studio) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-zone overlap | Full Eastern day | Full, subject to availability | Montreal morning and early afternoon (team based in Dakar, GMT, 4 to 5 h ahead) |
| Meetings | Visits to your studio, site walk-throughs | In person or video | Video calls only, no on-site visits |
| Languages | French and English | French, English depending on profile | Native French or English copywriting |
| Creation price | 12 000 to 45 000 USD | 3 000 to 12 000 USD | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD fixed |
| Timeline | 8 to 14 weeks | 4 to 8 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Domain and code ownership | Specify in the contract | Often unwritten | Specify in the contract: the studio holds domain and access |
| Project photography | Often offered with a partner photographer | Sometimes | Not offered: hire a local interiors photographer |
These ranges are a 2026 ballpark, converted to USD, based on public price pages of Quebec agencies, minimum project sizes listed on Clutch.co profiles of Montreal agencies and published rates on Malt and Upwork.
What real budget should you plan, photography included?
In this trade, photography weighs as much as the site. Here is a three-year comparison with the same hypotheses on each side.
| Line item | Montreal agency (mid-range) | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio website creation | 22 000 USD | 4 900 USD |
| Photography of 4 projects (local interiors photographer) | 4 000 USD | 4 000 USD |
| Hosting and maintenance over 3 years (hypothesis: 120 USD per month) | 4 320 USD | 4 320 USD |
| Adding 6 new projects over 3 years (hypothesis: done by the studio in the editor) | 0 USD | 0 USD |
| 3-year total | 30 320 USD | 13 220 USD |
Starter covers a compact site of a few key pages, Growth a fuller site with one page per service type, a structured portfolio and qualified forms, Premium a complete bilingual French and English site with a richer structure. Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native French or English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support after launch. Maintenance beyond that is quoted on request, as are appointment booking with a deposit payment or a client area to share mood boards. Everything is detailed on the international website offer. Payment by bank transfer: 50 % at kickoff, 50 % at delivery.
When does a Montreal agency remain the right choice?
If you have no professional photos of your projects, if you want a full visual identity (logo, typography, stationery) or a site walk-through video, a local agency coordinating production on the ground will save you time. Kolonell does no in-person meetings and no photo or video shoots. A local agency is also preferable if you want someone to visit your studio to understand your style, or if your business network expects a Quebec supplier. In those cases, paying 20 000 USD or more is consistent with the outcome.
Which rules apply to a professional website in Quebec?
The Charter of the French Language, strengthened by Bill 96, requires a commercial website aimed at Quebec to be available in French; an English version is allowed, but French must not be given lesser prominence. Law 25 on the protection of personal information, fully in force since September 2024, requires a clear privacy policy, a designated person in charge and explicit consent for non-essential cookies. For newsletters, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation requires consent and an unsubscribe link. The title of architect is reserved for members of the Ordre des architectes du Québec: describe your team's titles and services precisely. On accessibility, aim for WCAG 2.1 AA as a practical target, with alt text on every project photo. This is not legal advice.
Which questions should you ask before signing?
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- Will project photos be compressed without visible loss, and how many seconds does the gallery take to load on mobile?
- Can I add a project myself without paying for an intervention?
- Are the domain and hosting access in my name from day one?
- How is the French version produced: translation or native copywriting?
- Who is responsible for a Law 25 compliant consent banner?
- What exactly does post-launch support cover, and for how many months?
To get a precise estimate from your current portfolio, request a free quote.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Mathilde R., founder of a four-designer studio in Mile End, already has professional photos of 9 projects. A local agency quotes 26 000 USD over 12 weeks. She picks Kolonell Growth at 4 900 USD and has 2 recent projects shot by a local photographer for 2 000 USD, 6 900 USD in total. Saving: 19 100 USD. Her average margin on a residential project is about 9 000 USD (hypothesis): 1 extra contract covers the site, and the qualified form saves her around 3 hours of unproductive calls a week.
FAQ
Does a Montreal website have to be in French?
Yes, a commercial website aimed at Quebec must be available in French under the Charter of the French Language. Premium at 8 900 USD covers a complete bilingual French and English site.
Can Kolonell photograph my projects?
No, Kolonell does no photo shoots. Budget roughly 800 to 1 500 USD per project with a Montreal interiors photographer as a 2026 ballpark.
What is the time difference with the team?
The team is 4 to 5 hours ahead of Montreal. A 9 or 10 am meeting in Montreal falls in the early afternoon in Dakar, leaving about 4 hours of overlap per day.
Can I manage my portfolio myself after delivery?
Yes, projects are added in the editor delivered with the site. The 3 months of support cover your questions while you get started.
Is a client area for sharing mood boards included?
No, it is quoted on request. The 2 900, 4 900 and 8 900 USD tiers cover the public site and its forms.
Let's scope your project. A fast portfolio, a form that sorts inquiries by budget and compliant French, on the Growth tier at 4 900 USD, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.